Queen of Spain fritillary...Scotland?
Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 1:04 pm
Afternoon all...
I'm turning to you guys for information after a potentially very unusual sighting last week.
I'm a fairly competent butterfly ID'er(?) although by no means an expert but i'm having a crisis of confidence after seeing what i'm sure were a fair few Queen of Spain fritillaries at the southern tip of Kintyre, SW Scotland....! I was out working on a fairly small heathland-dominated site during glorious sunshine last week and had already noted a good amount of small pearl-bordered frits when i noticed this other species which i assumed was a QOS. I managed to get a few good sightings, including watching one at rest with wings closed revealing the large white patches and several others atop thistles etc. (no photos....sorry!!!). However, since returnign to the office and researching the QOS further, i now realise how rare it is!!! (no records in scotland?). In spite of this, the various pictures online seem to point to QOS and nothing else.
Does anyone know of any records for Scotland/kintyre or what else this may have been? Aside from the patterned underwing, there was the also the whitish trim and jaggedy edge to the hind wing shown in a number of pictures. The site also seems to satisfy the species' habitat requirements with violet species present throughout.
Any help would be greatly received. Cheers
Jon
I'm turning to you guys for information after a potentially very unusual sighting last week.
I'm a fairly competent butterfly ID'er(?) although by no means an expert but i'm having a crisis of confidence after seeing what i'm sure were a fair few Queen of Spain fritillaries at the southern tip of Kintyre, SW Scotland....! I was out working on a fairly small heathland-dominated site during glorious sunshine last week and had already noted a good amount of small pearl-bordered frits when i noticed this other species which i assumed was a QOS. I managed to get a few good sightings, including watching one at rest with wings closed revealing the large white patches and several others atop thistles etc. (no photos....sorry!!!). However, since returnign to the office and researching the QOS further, i now realise how rare it is!!! (no records in scotland?). In spite of this, the various pictures online seem to point to QOS and nothing else.
Does anyone know of any records for Scotland/kintyre or what else this may have been? Aside from the patterned underwing, there was the also the whitish trim and jaggedy edge to the hind wing shown in a number of pictures. The site also seems to satisfy the species' habitat requirements with violet species present throughout.
Any help would be greatly received. Cheers
Jon